Okay guys…I've got a new chapter for you all today! And just to let you all know…the fact that these chapters are considerably shorter than the last story is not lost on me…For some strange reason I think that making these chapters kind of short, sweet and to the point is just the mood I seem to be in lately :o( Either way, I promise that there's much more to come! Hope this one hits the spot. Let me know your thoughts! Oh…and just a note…spaghetti is intentionally spelled wrong (wink) for any of you out there like me who are sticklers for spelling and grammar :oP

Chapter 2

"Incoming!" Temperance faintly heard Booth say to no one in particular.

"Tempe!" Parker called excitedly as he ran straight for her and launched himself into her seat. Pulling him up into the chair with her, Temperance was immediately enveloped in a four-year-old sized bear hug; the likes of which she wasn't sure she wanted to escape.

"We missed you Tempe", the boy told her.

Quirking an eyebrow in the direction of the handsome FBI man watching her from across the room, she addresses him skeptically, "We?"

Booth steps closer into the room, a smile playing at his lips. No response forthcoming.

Smiling back over at him tenderly Temperance realizes that she's going to have to work much harder when it comes to getting used to this change in their demeanor. It wasn't that it bothered her…not really…it was just that she wasn't sure that she was capable of separating her work from her personal life.

She'd never had to make such an adjustment before.

And while she recognized the importance of making an effort in that direction now, the fact that she and Booth worked so closely together only complicated things.

In short…she wasn't sure how to act around him anymore. Especially here…in her office, in the lab…in the field…with his son in her arms.

Opting to avoid dealing with that particular issue for the moment, Temperance redirects her attention to the child in her lap.

"Well," she muses, "it's nice to be missed."

As Parker unwraps himself from around her, he sits down more comfortably in her lap. As soon as he's situated there, it seems like the itty bitty flood gates open, as suddenly he's telling her animatedly, "Daddy said that we could come see you. He said that you'd be working real hard to solve bone puzzles."

Glancing quickly over at Angela she sees that her friend is beside herself with amusement at the little tike's relation of events, "And then he said that we should come and get you and bring you home with us. Daddy made my favorite splagetti and he said that sometimes when you work real hard solving the bone puzzles you forget when it's dinner time!"

It's then that Angela cuts in, "Okay, I don't even know this kid and I already love him to pieces."

"Ang…", Temperance starts.

"Well it's true!" she protests with a grin.

Still completely engrossed in his Tempe, Parker continues to explain, "And then when I told Daddy that I missed you Tempe…he said that he missed you too and that we should come and make you forget about the bone puzzles so that you'll want to come spend the New Year at our house!"

"Now take it easy there champ," Booth started on a nervous laugh. Glancing around quickly he met the curious stare of Angela first and then the very interested stare of one Temperance Brennan.

It was so endearing to watch Booth sputter out an explanation, that she couldn't bring herself to interrupt them.

"What I said was that Bon- uh, Tempe would probably be too busy tonight to come over, but that we should ask her nicely if she wanted to--"

"No Daddy!" The boy was emphatic. "I remember real good…you told me to try my best Booth magic to make Tempe come home with us!"

Smiling coyly over at Booth, Temperance immediately notices how the color starts to rise in his neck. He was trying really hard now to halt the tirade of truth coming from the little boy. "Bub…I think--"

"Booth magic?" Temperance asks Angela curiously.

"I think he meant charm sweetie. But you know how it is…kid speak isn't an exact science."

"So Tempe? Will you come to Daddy's house and eat splagetti with us and watch the big new year ball drop? Will you? Huh?"

"Now who could deny a little face like that?" Angela teases her best friend.

Certainly not me

Rolling her eyes for her friends benefit, Temperance steals a quick glance at Booth, who appears to be worrying a hole in the floor with his shoe. Then looking down at Parker she tells him simply, "I'd love to."

"Yay!" the boy bounces in her lap enthusiastically.

His glee it seemed was contagious because before any of them knew it, Booth, Angela and Temperance were chuckling with him.

Then quickly glancing over at Booth, Angela develops an idea, "I'll tell you what Parker…I think I've got some chocolate around here somewhere. What do you say we let your Dad and Tempe talk for a minute?"

The little boy's eyes did a funny little dance at the mention of sugary sweetness, "Daddy can I?"

Smiling his gratitude at her, Booth addresses Angela briefly, "Yeah he can have a little." Then pointing a stern finger in his son's direction, "But not too much buddy! You haven't had your dinner yet."

"Okay Daddy."

Sliding off of Tempe's lap, Parker takes Angela's hand and lets her lead him out of the office and over toward her own workspace. As his son walked past him in the doorway Booth had another thought, "And stay with Angela!" he called, "there's no telling what you could get yourself into around here," he said more to himself.

Booth's gaze sought after them as they left, and then resettled on the beautiful woman sitting in front of him.

"So…", he starts.

"So…" she bites her lip suddenly unsure of herself.

"So, how was your day? Busy?"

"No more so than usual," she shakes her head indifferently, "You?"

"It's New Year's Eve Bones…you won't find too many agents taking on new cases until after the holidays are over. I made my rounds earlier. Then Parker and I hung out for awhile."

"Sounds like you had a good time," she tells him contentedly.

"Yeah, we went ice skating," he recalls with a grin. "It probably sounds stupid, but it's something I've told him we'd do for a while now," then huffing at the remembrance, "but something always came up. If it wasn't a case, then it was inconvenient for Rebecca to let me take him…"

Nodding thoughtfully she finally stands up from her chair and closes the distance between them.

"No, it's not stupid," she answers softly, "I think it's great that you and Parker got to spend some time together. I can only imagine how difficult it must be; feeling like you have to squeeze everything you want to do with him into the small time you have."

"Yeah," he whispers, "I think he had a good time though."

"And after all that you still had time to fix dinner? I'm impressed. I had no idea you were so multi-talented."

Shrugging evenly Booth tells her quietly, "Just wait and see…I'm full of surprises."

He was so infuriatingly distracting when he talked to her in that quiet tone. It was nearly impossible for her to focus on even the simplest of thoughts when he pulled her against him like he was now.

And he smells so good…

The sweet mixture of the remnants of his cologne and the intoxicating musky scent that was unique to only him easily overtakes her senses. Reaching up, her arms wind around the solidness of his shoulders.

He was inching them closer and closer, and soon the light was gone as her eyes slipped shut and she could feel the soft prodding of his lips on hers. His arm around her waist folds her tightly against him as suddenly she's lost to the knowledge that she's kissing her FBI partner in plain view of anyone who walks into her office.

In this moment, it didn't even seem to matter.

I could definitely get used to this…

There's more to come guys! Stay tuned...